There are some great research-minded tumblrs out there — I highly recommend JSTOR's — the Muncie, Indiana Public Library is celebrating technology month in February. They asked their local history librarians what they thought the best technology was. They were big fans of microfilm. »2/23/15 11:00pm 2/23/15 11:00pm

Melanie's Marvelous Measles is a book about how awesome it is to catch the measles. Children ages 4-10 are invited to learn that the measles is actually pretty fun, has no serious possible side-effects, and is something kids should look forward to getting. »2/04/15 1:40pm 2/04/15 1:40pm

Do the diseases that claim the most years of our lives really get the most research funding? This chart takes on that question — and reveals which diseases we may need to focus more on. »1/16/15 2:40pm 1/16/15 2:40pm

So here's an important question: How badly designed and how many obvious laws do you have to break in your study before you stop and re-design it? And is the resulting effect on elections malpractice? »10/29/14 3:30am 10/29/14 3:30am

Once upon a time, newly-minted science Ph.D.s would get research jobs at a senior scientist's laboratory, to train and hone the ideas they would explore at their own labs. But now the supply of post-doctoral students is outpacing demand, creating a new, hyper-educated underclass. »10/08/14 4:30pm 10/08/14 4:30pm

For over 20 years, the state of Indiana hoarded the blood of newborns without their parents' consent. If your child was born in Indiana after 1991, chances are his or her blood sample is one of an estimated 2.5-million specimens currently stored in a warehouse, the location of which state officials have not disclosed. »7/19/14 2:00pm 7/19/14 2:00pm

This strangely alive-looking blob isn't a prop from a sci-fi movie. It's a smorph, a morphing material that could make the cars, trains and airplanes of tomorrow extremely aerodynamic, using the same trick that helps golf balls fly faster and straighter. »6/28/14 5:25pm 6/28/14 5:25pm

The United States Air Force set up the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories to determine what would happen to our astronauts before we launched them into space. A brief documentary from the dawn of the Space Age is a fascinating timecapsule of early research, accomplishments, and fears. »6/07/14 7:10pm 6/07/14 7:10pm

I self-identify as a straight male-bodied dude, but recently I've taken to playing as a female-bodied character in many games. It's not something the majority of people do, but it's also not uncommon. Oddly, however, men play as women far more than women play as men. Let's break down why people choose the avatars they… »5/16/14 3:27pm 5/16/14 3:27pm

If you believed the internet, you'd think there's huge debate over whether eggs, coffee, or salt are good or bad for you. In reality, there's significant agreement on diet and health issues among experts, but the general public is conflicted. So why are we so confused when experts agree? Let's clear the air. »5/07/14 12:24pm 5/07/14 12:24pm

Via WaPo's Wonkblog comes the definitive guide to critiquing research findings that rub you the wrong way. And while this chart refers more specifically to studies on things like health and budget policy, it works surprisingly well for scientific studies, as well. »9/12/13 12:40pm 9/12/13 12:40pm

The Federal Government's budget sequester has left the nation's science and technology funding at its lowest in years. As predicted, labs are ditching projects and scientists; researchers are looking overseas for jobs and funding; health initiatives are being hamstrung; and federal agencies across the board are…»9/10/13 8:30am 9/10/13 8:30am

Controlling games with brainwaves is a vogue research subject—Patricia Hernandez herself tested out a demo that involved tossing trucks telekinetically—but a team of researchers have applied it to a competitive game—Pong—with the goal of allowing a paralyzed person to make the ceremonial kickoff of the 2014 World Cup. »6/22/13 6:50pm 6/22/13 6:50pm

Okay, so this research into the phenomenon of twitching baby mammals (in the words of University of Iowa psychology professor Mark Blumberg, “literally every mammal that has ever been looked at” twitches) is really interesting, but I’m not going to dress this post up in futuristic scientific regalia (I was thinking a… »6/22/13 3:07pm 6/22/13 3:07pm